1. Field of Invention
The present invention is generally related to reducing aerodynamic drag on stacked intermodal containers.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally the use of stacked (or “double stacked”) intermodal containers, wherein a top container is mounted on a bottom container, is known as a method of transporting goods on rail. For example, as shown in FIG. 1 and further described in detail below, a series 104 of stacked intermodal containers may be provided on container cars 113 and pulled by a locomotive 102 along a track 103 to form a train used for transporting goods on land. Though transporting intermodal containers in a double stack assists in lowering rail haul costs, it would be beneficial to further reduce such costs associated with rail transportation. For example, the expenses associated with operating a fuel (e.g., diesel) powered locomotive may significantly increase based on rising fuel prices. Additionally, exhaust emissions of diesel fuel may cause damage and be harmful to the environment.
In some instances, such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,702,509 and 5,000,508, it has been known to attach inflatable devices to vehicles to assist in reducing aerodynamic drag. However, these known devices tend to achieve low reductions in aerodynamic drag, and fail to provide a device that is versatile and may be used with different sized containers in a train.